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“I Was Tired of Being Tired.”

Andrew Powell has a lighter outlook on everything these days. That’s over 240 pounds lighter.

Andrew with his two sons. He is proud to have participated in two 5K charity runs this year and plans on several more.

His remarkable journey began three years ago. “I was 30 years old and weighed 464 pounds. I wanted to do more with my kids and my wife,” says the married father of three. “I was just tired of being tired.”

Andrew searched the internet to learn all he could about weight loss surgery. “I wanted to go to the hospital with the best doctor and services—where they perform a lot of these procedures each year. Abington Memorial Hospital’s name kept coming up at the top of the list,” he explains.

Andrew praises the surgical skills of Fernando Bonanni, MD, director of the hospital’s Institute for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, in helping him take the first, most serious step.

Andrew credits the ReverendJohn "Jack" T. Wright of the Grove United Methodist Church in West Chester for his support on his journey to improve his health.

“Because I was so big, the operation took 12 hours instead of the average seven,” he says. “My organs were so enlarged.”

Post-surgery, Andrew stayed motivated with each goal he reached. “The more I lost, the more I was able to do and the better I felt. My hypertension and sleep apnea are gone, and I have a lower risk of developing diabetes.”

Today, his three kids and his wife are enjoying the re-energized person they see before them. “My youngest son, who’s eight, loves the change most,” adds Andrew. “He didn’t know me when I was smaller.”

“I started out wanting to be more active in my family life,” Andrew says quietly. “When I reached my goal, there was this revelation. I realized how close I came to not being here at all.”